MONMOUTH BEACH – A contract to do the work on the first phase of the Beach Road streetscape project from Riverdale Avenue to Willow Road was awarded by the Monmouth Beach Commission at its October meeting Tuesday.

The $651,901.25 contract also covers drainage projects on Monmouth Parkway and at Griffin Park.

The contract included $549,728.25 for the Beach Road streetscape project, $42,550 for Monmouth Parkway drainage and $59,623 for Griffin Park drainage.

The winner of the contract was Precise Construction, of Freehold, which was the lowest of three bidders.

Robert J. Stetz, the engineer with T&M Associates of Middletown in charge of the Beach Road streetscape project, said the borough was getting local aid awards totaling $475,000 from the state Department of Transportation to finance the bulk of the project.

He said the borough just applied for an additional local aid award from the DOT in 2012 to help finance phase two of the project from Willow Road to Ocean Avenue.

Stetz said the Beach Road project will begin shortly with underground work – installing the electrical wiring and the new drainage. He said that will take two to three weeks, depending on the weather. After that the main construction begins.

The design for the streetscape harkens back to the early days of he borough, which was incorporated in 1906. It features period street lamps, vintage 1920s, a new town clock, a plaza in front of Borough Hall and bumpouts at the intersections of Beach Road with Borden Street, West Street and Willow Road. New sidewalks and curbing also will be installed. Stetz said the project is expected to be completed by next June. Stetz did not know when work on Phase Two will be done.